The SSPO's public admission that the Label Rouge standard "is not a standard designed to assess environmental or animal welfare criteria" may come as a surprise to many people who have been duped into believing that the Label Rouge is the industry's gold standard.

The SSPO's comments are particularly embarrassing for Acoura, the "independent certifying body" for Label Rouge Scottish salmon, who still boast on their web-site that:

"Assured Label Rouge Scottish Farmed Salmon goes through an extremely stringent assessment process. Each audit checks whether the salmon has been reared in accordance with best practice and with respect for fish welfare, the environment and sustainability."

Nor do SSPO members seem to have received Scott's memo that the Label Rouge "is not a standard designed to assess environmental or animal welfare criteria".

SSPO-member Cooke Aquaculture claim on their Label Rouge web-page: "Cooke Aquaculture Label Rouge salmon has been reared in accordance with best practice and with respect for fish welfare".